Clovis Pioneer Days celebration to kick off

Posted: Tuesday, June 05, 2001

JANET BRESENHAMglobenews.nm@yucca.net

CLOVIS, N.M. - When Cathy Haynes was asked to organize a special breakfast this week honoring local "Pioneer Women of the West," she discovered a rich history of families - including her own - who struggled but kept the faith and kept their family ties strong as they settled the Curry County area decades ago.

"People are really proud of their families who came here," Haynes said. "They had hard lives where many of them lived in dugouts and had to walk for water. But the thing you see in all of them is that they made it through the difficult times and survived and had faith that everything would work out."

The Pioneer Days Breakfast at 7 a.m. MDT on Friday in the Clovis-Carver Library's Ingram Room is a new addition to a full week of activities during Clovis' annual Pioneer Days celebration.

"This year's Pioneer Days will include three nights of pro rodeo, a parade on Saturday, the Little Buckaroo Rodeo and the Miss Rodeo New Mexico pageant," said Ernie Kos, executive director of the Clovis/Curry County Chamber of Commerce.

Kos said the Miss Rodeo New Mexico Pageant takes on a greater local significance this year because the current reigning queen, Shalei Erramouspe, is a Clovis resident who will compete in the Miss Rodeo U.S.A. competition in Las Vegas later this year.

The new Miss Rodeo New Mexico will be crowned Friday at 7:30 p.m. during a special coronation ceremony at the Mounted Patrol Arena.

This week's celebration of the pioneering spirit that led people to Curry County and New Mexico has generated even more excitement than ever, primarily because of the large number of respondents from pioneer families, Haynes said.

In addition, this year's Pioneer Days events will culminate with the community's celebration of the Cannon Air Force Base Air Expo all day Sunday, which will spotlight the famous U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.

The 31st Annual PRCA Pioneer Days Rodeo kicks off Thursday night and continues with more action Friday night and Saturday night.

All PRCA Rodeo events begin at 8 p.m. MDT nightly in the Mounted Patrol Arena at the Curry County Fairgrounds. A dance with recorded music from "Jocks on Wheels" will be Friday and Saturday nights under the grandstand following PRCA Rodeo action.

The 26th annual Little Buckaroo Rodeo, which began Monday night with horse events, continues at 6 p.m. MDT today with foot events for children ages 13 and under. This year's Little Buckaroo Rodeo will conclude Saturday with a full afternoon of events at the Mounted Patrol Arena, including:

1 p.m. - Rodeo Clown Contest Finals;

1:30 p.m. - Calf riding;

2:30 p.m. - Dummy Roping, with competitions divided into age divisions for children ages 6 and under, 7-9 and 10-13;

3:30 p.m. - Mutton Bustin' for children ages 7 and under.

Activities scheduled for Wednesday include the horsemanship competition of the Miss Rodeo New Mexico Pageant beginning at 9:30 a.m. and steer roping at 6 p.m. Both events will take place at the Mounted Patrol Arena.

On Thursday, the Miss Rodeo New Mexico Pageant continues with a noon luncheon and speech and fashion show competition in the Clovis Room of the Holiday Inn on Mabry Drive.